Fig. 7. U.S. Air Force hangar near Sebring, Florida, converted to a screwworm fly rearing factory. (Author)


Fig. 8. Fly colony cage. Six liters of pupae were placed in this cage to produce approximately 50,000 adults. Four million or more eggs were produced per cage. Paper streamers were placed in the cage to provide resting surface for the flies. Food consisted of a honey-meat mixture, honey alone, and water (USDA).


Fig. 9. Fly colony holding room. (USDA)


Fig. 10. Grid removed from oviposition tray for removal of screwworm eggs. Eggs were weighed into 6-gm lots to provide 120,000 eggs for each starting tray. (USDA)


Fig. 11. Transfer of hatched screwworm larvae from Petri dish to starting tray. Larval medium consisted of lean ground meat, bovine plasma, water, and formalin. The starting chamber was maintained near 100°F and 95% RH. (USDA)


Fig. 12. Third instar larvae in rearing medium. (Author)


Fig. 13. Screwworm rearing vats. After 30 hours in the starting chamber the larvae were transferred to vats on the main floor. Diet was similar to the starting medium except that whole bovine blood was substituted for plasma. After 4 days larvae reached the size shown, migrated from the vat, and were directed to the water conveyor beneath the grate. (USDA)


Fig. 14. Sawdust separator. Larvae were collected at the larva-water separator (not shown) and placed in pupation trays containing sawdust; 16 hours later the sawdust was removed from the mixture of larvae and pupae to permit  separation of the life stages. (USDA)


Fig. 15. Larva-pupa separator. The mixture of larvae and pupae was transported to a slowly moving endless belt. The negatively phototropic larvae crawled to the sides and dropped into containers for recycling in the pupation chamber. Pupae, remaining on the belt, were collected at the opposite end for storage. (USDA)


Fig. 16. Irradiation canister being loaded with 2 liters of pupae (18,000). Pupae received 8000r + 10% at 5 1/2 days of age. (USDA)


Fig. 17. Positioning irradiation canister on carrier, which inserted it into the irradiation chamber and automatically removed it at the scheduled time for transfer to the packaging area. (USDA)


Fig 18. Cobalt60 irradiation unit in restricted area accessible only to the radiation supervisor. Screened canisters containing screwworm pupae were attached to the carriage at the operator's position (Fig. 17) and were automatically inserted into the radiation field, removed, and dropped onto the packaging room conveyor in the lower left hand corner. (USDA)


Fig. 19. Packaging line. Operator on stool emptied the irradiated screwworm pupae into an automatic filler which dispensed the pupae into the release cartons. Cartons were formed and closed mechanically at the rate of 50 per minute. (USDA)